Fifth-wheel



r (No Model.)

A. W. JOHNSON.l

FIFTH WHBBLL Patented Jan. 12, 1897.

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ALFRED YV. JOHNSON, OF NEV BRUNSWICK, NEVI-JERSEY.

FIFTH-WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 575,242, dated January 12, 1897'.

Application filed June 11,1896.` Serial No. 595,156. (No model.)

i of New Brunswick, in the county of Middlesex and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Fifth-Wheel, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

One object of this invention is to provide a superior fifth-wheel for vehicles, and particularly one in which it will be unnecessary to lubricate the moving parts.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device in which the weight applied to the fifth-wheel will be in turn transmitted directly to the front axle, no matter what may be the position of such axle.

I attain these ends by employing a frame adapted to be carried by the body of the vehicle and a second frame adapted to be carried by the front axle, the iirst frame having at its rear portion two studs and at its front portion a groove, and the second frame having at its rear'portion a notch to loosely re ceive each stud and at its front portion a groove registering with the groove in the iirst section, each of the grooves being angular in form and having reversed relation to each other,so that their sides will always be crossed, thus forming an inclosure for an antifrictionball, which is carried in the grooves and serves to support the first or body frame on the second or axle frame.

The invention will be fully described hereinafter and defined in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the iigures.

Figure 1 is a plan view of my invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the invention, and Fig. 4i is a sectional view of a detail to be hereinafter described.

The axle 3 may be of any suitable form and is provided with spindles 2 to carry the front wheels of the vehicle. The axle 3 is dropped at the center and carries a bolster 4, held by clips 5. Rested on the bolster 4 is the forward rail 6 of the lower or axle frame of the iifth wheel. The lower frame is provided with two guide-rails 7, curving rearwardly rear ends by a cross-brace 8, such rear ends also respectively having braces 9, which extend forwardly and outwardly to the ends of the axle 3, to which they are secured.

The upper frameconsists of two rearwardly and outwardly extending side portions 10, joined by a forwardly-curved rear portion 11 and having a plate 12 located at their 'for ward portion or point, to which plate the reach 13 of the vehicle is secured, the reach being also secured to the portion 11 of the upper frame and having braces 14, respectively extending outward and forward to the ends of the parts 10 of such frame. Fixed to the front extremity of the upper frame is a block 15, on which the elliptical spring 16 is fixed, such spring supporting the body of the vehicle.

The groove 19 in the lower frame is formed with a corner at its center, from which corner the divisions of the groove respectively extend outward and forward. The lower frame is provided at the rear side of the groove 19 with arail or rib 25, which extends outwardly beyond each end of the groove and curves rearwardly to the axle. This rail or rib forms a surface on which the top frame may slide should these parts engage after the devices which normally support the top frame out of Contact with the lower frame have worn down.

Freely movable within the groove 19 is an antifriction-ball 20, which is also movable in the groove 21 of the upper frame. This groove is formed on the underV side of the front portions of the parts 10 of the upper frame, and is angular in form, but located reversely with reference to the groove 19.

' The front rail 6 of the lower frame is provided with an extension 24, on which the shield-plate 23 is bolted, such plate having an upwardly and rearwardly extending portion 22 projecting slightly over the front extremity of the upper frame, as best shown in Fig. 3. vided with an integral stud 1S, projecting downwardly and having a bolt 17 passed through it. These bolts are each provided with an enlarged and squared portion 26 at their lowerl ends, and also have heads 25,

and slightly outwardly and joined at their' The rear end of each part 10i is pro-A IOO each holding a cap 27, having a recess in its upper side andy receiving a wooden packingdisk 28.

The studs 1S are respectively loosely fitted in sockets or recesses formed in the forward sides of the terminals of the bar 8, while the caps 27 run along the under side of the rails 7, so as to prevent the upper frame from being lifted from engagement with the lower frame. The parts 18 and 27 being constructed of metal it will be readily seen that the bolts 17 may be tightened to compress the wooden washers 28 and take up any wear which may have been occasioned in the operation of the fifth-wheel.

It will be seen that as the front axle swings, the upper frame, as well as the reach 13 and spring 16, remaining stationary, one of the ends of the bar 8 will move rearward from the adjacent stud 1S, causing the lower frame to be moved rearwardly and laterally and rolling the ball 2O in the grooves 19 and 21. By these means the axle 3 may turn as is necessary to its operation, and at the same time it will move with the least possible friction and always receive directly the weight of the vehicle, since this weight is always transmitted to the rail 6 at the groove 19 thereof and since this groove is always located approximately over the axle.

Owing to the peculiar form and arrangement of the grooves 19 and 21 these grooves always have intersecting sides, which form an inclosure from which the ball 2O cannot escape, thus preventingthe accidental displacement of the ball and at the same time confining it at the proper place to receive the necessary strain. The ball 2O operates, as will be understood, to reduce the friction and to make unnecessary the application of a lubricant.

As the apparatus is used and the parts become evenly adapted to each other by their operation it will be seen that the movement will be entirely regular, and should the parts wear to such an extent as to allow the two frames to touch each other the rail 25 will receive the top frame and permit the same to slide thereon. At all times, however, this rail is useful to engage the top frame, as the two frames rock with relation to each other, such movement being necessary in a very slight degree to the use of the device.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A fifth-wheel having two superposed frames, the frames having at their rear portions two points on which they may have independent rocking movement, each frame also having a groove at its forward portion and in the faces respectively adjacent to each other, each groove having two runs with angular disposition to each other and the two grooves being arranged oppositely to each other, and an antifriction-ball freely movable in the grooves and supporting the upper frame on the lower frame, substantially as described.

2. A fifth-wheel having two superposed frames having at their rear portions two points on which they may have independent rocking movement, such points being in transverse alinement with each other, each frame having a groove at its forward portion and in the faces respectively adjacent to each other, each groove having two curved runs with angular disposition to each other, such runs in each groove being respectively concentric to the points of rocking movement and the grooves having a reversed relative arrangement whereby the runs of one groove respectively lie in the arcs of the runs of the remaining groove, and a ball free in the grooves and supporting the upper frame in the lower frame, substantially as described.

3. A fifth-wheel having two superposed frames, the lower or axle frame having a transverselyextended front portion in the upper side of which a groove Vis formed, the groove having two runs, each curving inward and rearward and communicating with each other at their rear ends and the axle-frame having two curved side portions extending rearwardly from the front portion and each terminating with a lug located at its inner side and projecting forwardly to form a notch or socket, the upper or body frame having at its rear portion two downwardly-extending studs respectively bearing in the notches or sockets whereby the body-frame may move in a horizontal plane on either stud and the studs respectivelybeingconcentric to the arcs of the runs of the groove in the axle-frame, the body-frame extending forwardly to the front portion of the axle-frame and having in its lower side a groove with two runs each curved inwardly and forwardly and being respectively in the arcs of the runs of the groove in the axle-frame, and an antifriction-ball freely movable in the grooves an d supporting the body-frame on the axle-frame, substantially as described.`

ALFRED XV. JOHNSON.

Vitnesses:

CHARLES W. LARAsoN, J Aeon H. HoAeLAND.

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